1767. December.

Soon after, the enfign M. le Cerf, the secretary of the council, and a pilot, came on board to atSaturd, 19. tend us to Bonthain. Le Cerf was to command the foldiers who were on board the guard boats; and the secretary, as we afterwards discovered, was to be a check upon the refident, whofe name was Swellingrabel. This gentleman's father died fecond governor at the Cape of Good Hope, where he married an English lady of the name of Fothergill. Mr. Swellingrabel, the resident here, married the daughter of Cornelius Sinklaar, who had been governor of Macaffar, and died about two years ago in England, having come hither to fee fome of his mother's relations.

CHAP.

С НА Р. XI.

Tranfactions at Bonthain, while the Vefel was waiting for a Wind to carry her to Batavia, with fome Account of the Place, the Town of Macaffar, and the adjacent Country.

THE

HE next morning at day-break we failed, and the day following in the afternoon we anchored in Bonthain road with our two

guard-boats, which were immediately moored close in to the fhore, to prevent the country boats from coming near us, and our boats from going near them. As foon as I arrived at this place, I altered our reckoning. I had loft about eighteen hours, in coming by the weft, and the Europeans that we found here having come by the east had gained about fix, so that the difference was just a day.

I immediately waited upon the resident, Mr. Swellingrabel, who spoke English but very imperfectly, and having fettled with him all matters relating to money and provisions, a house was allotted me near the fea-fide, and close to a little pallifadoed fort of eight guns, the only one in this place, which I converted into an hospital,

under

1767. December.

Sunday 20.
Monday 21,

1767. December.

under the direction of the furgeon; to this place
I immediately fent all the people who were
thought incapable of recovering on board, and
referved the reft as a fecurity against accidents.
As foon as our people were on shore, a guard
of thirty-fix private men, two ferjeants, and two
corporals, all under the command of Enfign Le
Cerf, was fet over them; and none of them were
fuffered to go more than thirty yards from the
hofpital, nor were any of the country people al-
lowed to come near enough to fell them any
thing; fo that our men got nothing of them,
but through the hands of the Dutch foldiers,
who abused their power very fhamefully. When
they faw any of the country people carry-
ing what they thought our invalids would pur-
chafe, they first took it away, and then afked
the price: what was demanded fignified little,
the foldier gave what he thought proper, which
was seldom one fourth of the value; and if the
countryman ventured to exprefs any discontent, he
gave him immediately an earnett of perfect fatis-
faction, by flourishing his broad-sword over his
head this was always fufficient to filence com-
plaint, and fend the fufferer quietly away; after
which the foldier fold what he had thus ac-
quired for profit of fometimes more than a
thousand per cent. This behaviour was so cruel
to the natives, and fo injurious to us, that I
ventured to complain of it to the refident, and

the

the other two gentlemen, Le Cerf and the fecretary. The refident, with becoming fpirit, reprimanded the foldiers; but it produced fo little effect that I could not help entertaining fufpicions that Le Cerf connived at these practices, and shared the advantages which they produced. I fufpected him alfo of felling arrack to my people, of which I complained, but without redrefs; and I know that his flaves were employed to buy things at the market which his wife afterwards fold to us for more than twice as much as they coft. The foldiers were indeed guilty of many other irregularities it was the duty of one of them by rotation to procure the day's provifion for the whole guard, a fervice which he conftantly performed by going into the country with his mufquet and a bag; nor was the honeft providetor always content with what the bag would contain, for one of them, without any ceremony, drove down a young buffalo that belonged to fome of the country people, and his comrades not having wood at hand to drefs it when it was killed, fupplied themselves by pulling down fome of the pallifadoes of the fort. When this was reported to me, I thought it so extraordinary that I went on fhore to see the breach, and found the poor black people repairing it.

1767.

December.

On the 26th, a floop laden with rice was fent Saturd. 26. out from this place in order to land her cargo at

Macaffar;

1767. December,

Saturd. 26.

Macaffar; but after having attempted it three days fhe was forced to return. The weather was now exceedingly tempeftuous, and all navigation at an end from east to west till the return of the eastern monfoon. On the fame day two large floops that were bound to the eastward anSunday 27. chored here, and the next morning alfo a large ship from Batavia, with troops on board for the Banda Islands; but none of the crew of any of thefe veffels were fuffered to speak to any of our people, our boats being reftrained from going on board them, and theirs from coming on board us. As this was a mortifying reftriction, we requested Mr. Swellingrabel to buy us fome falt meat from the large fhip; and he was fo obliging as to procure us four cafks of very good European meat, two of pork and two of beef.

Monday 18.

On the 28th a fleet of more than an hundred fail of the fmall country veffels, called Proas, anchored here; their burden is from twelve to eighteen and twenty ton, and they carry from fixteen to twenty men. I was told that they carried on a fishery round the Island, going out with one monfoon, and coming back with the other, fo as always to keep under the lee of the land: the fish was fent to the China market, and. I obferved that all thefe veffels carried Dutch colours.

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